Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Adventure #3 in AZ

I suppose going to a professional basketball game can't really be called an adventure, but it was a lot of fun. I had planned to spend an evening holed up in my hotel room watching the Bachelor, but when my Canadian colleagues mentioned a Suns game, plans changed.

It was a lovely night, perfect for a short walk to the arena in short sleeves and jeans. We stopped for a cheap slice of pizza and turned down a scalper trying to sell tix for cheap. Stupid us. Once we reached the box office, the nose bleeds were pricing at double the scalper's cost. But we paid it anyway. And it was totally worth it.

I've been to two pro basketball games before - both at the Verizon Center - and neither were as entertaining as this one. Everything from the Golden Grannies (hip hop dancing old ladies) to the talented Suns dancers (who put the Wizard girls to shame) was fun to watch. And the game was excellent, too. And unlike the Verizon, this venue played music while the game was going. I would imagine this keeps both the audience and the players pumped up. It certainly worked. The audience was cheering loudly, and the Suns beat the Kings by almost 50 points.

On the walk back, I had the pleasure of introducing my Canadian friends to a treat I knew they'd never forget - Cold Stone Creamery.

As we took our last licks on the outdoor bench, one of them said,

"I don't know how tonight could've been better. I could die happy now."